Courdon
Courdon is a vast empire situated across a wide swath of eastern Avani. It is south of Kyth, and north of Mzia. Largely consisting of arid desert and savannah. Courdon often plays the role of antagonist to the Kythian characters, and is regarded with almost universal derision in Kyth. Stories that take place in Courdon, particularly those during or after the Courdonian Revolution, expand upon the nature of the country a little more and show it in facets beyond antagonistic. Regions Emryn Ruled by House Peregrine. Emryn is best known for being the first region pacified by the rebels during the Courdonian Revolution, after a long period of messy conflict. In later years of the revolution it served as a rebel staging ground and safe zone. Northlands Ruled by House Pipp. Ruom Ruled by House Erling, until the Erlings were obliterated during the Courdonian Revolution, at which point the region was taken over by House Vastcher, an offshoot branch of the Ruomian minor house, Cantour. Ruom encompasses the majority of the Courdonian segment of a broad mountain range that stretches as far as the country of Valzaim in the west. The mountains are rich in gold, which is mined there and provides the majority of the region's wealth. Talvace The region ruled by House Duval. Xavier Lynn escaped from here. Copper is mined here, providing the majority of the region's wealth. Seguier Ruled by Lord Owain. The region Cai Shahar escaped from, and the home region of the Armels, merchants who make their wealth from their prestigious iron-refinery and horse-racing. Kajas The region ruled by House Argall. House Vespasian, Meridith Duval's House by marriage, has small holdings on the edge of the Anvil. Teral Ruled by Lord Pike. Roth Ruled by Lord Talfryn. A heavily mage-oriented province. After the Courdonian rebellion this region secedes from Courdon and becomes a semi-autonomous vassal of Mzia. Durach The region in which the Courdonian capital is located. Ruled by House Alaric, the ruling house of all Courdon. Culture Courdon is perhaps best known to it's northern neighbors for the violence and oppressiveness of it's slave culture, and given the country's blithe disregard for "no slave raiding" clauses in their treaties with said countries, it's not hard to understand why. And in general, the culture of Courdon is a great deal more harsh than that of Kyth or Lyell. Social classes are rigidly defined and seldom overcome, with the noble class far away above everyone else and the slaves at the very bottom of the rung, barely considered as human. However, the Courdonian culture is not all awful. Though patriarchal in the extreme, the Carriconic religion practiced in Courdon places tremendous importance on the idea of kin and blood ties, and the responsibility of men to protect their vulnerable female and child relatives. Family is everything in Courdon, and it is considered the ultimate smudge on one's honor to abandon close kin in a dangerous or compromising situation. Granted, Courdon is still Courdon, and familial discipline is practiced rather more corporeally than Kythians would find entirely reasonable. But at the end of the day, most reasonable citizens of Courdon love their families unconditionally and will always put kin first. Language There are two distinct dialects of the Courdonian language. There is High Courdonian, which is the language of the nobility and considered the "proper" version of the tongue, and then there is Low Courdonian, the language of commoners and slaves. The two dialects are distinct from each other in mostly subtle ways- grammar, pronunciation, and certain distinct dialect words. However, the cultural significance of the line far outstrips the actual auditory distinctions. The High and Low dialects are a symptom of the very rigidly defined social structure in Courdon, and for a non-noble to use the High language is considered insubordinate and often punished painfully. Unlike other countries with distinct languages, Courdonian is not represented metatextually as an existing language. It is often compared to German in that it is meant to be loud and harsh sounding, but it is not actually represented as German or any Germanic language. Only three words are known in Courdonian; Enki - Lord Anki - Lady Mei ziel - my heart (an expression of affection) In fics, High Courdonian is colored with the hex code #ffc600 and looks like this, while Low Courdonian is colored with the hex code #e68519 and looks like this. Relations with Neighboring Countries Kyth Relations between Kyth and Courdon are at a surface glance frostily neutral, but it doesn't take much looking to find the simmering loathing and animosity just below the diplomatic surface. Kyth despises Courdon for it's brutal slave culture, and Courdon regards Kyth as weak and spineless. There is a fragile treaty between the two countries that dictates Courdon not hunt for slaves in Kyth, and in return Kyth will return runaway slaves to Coudon if they catch them. Neither side honors it. Mzia Courdon's bestie. After the revolution things get a smidge strained since Mzia still has slaves. Thylle Vassal state. Lyell The tiny, harmless neighbor who has to play nice so it doesn't get squashed. Category:Medieval Category:Countries